William roberts



W ROBERTS. v Corn Sheller.

Patented June 16, 1868.

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WILLIAM ROBERTS, OF FARNHAM, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, AUSTIN ROBERTS, AND WELCOME SPRAGUE, OF SAME ELACE.

Letters Patent No. 79,007, dated June .16, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN GORN-SHELLER.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY oolvcn'nni Beit known that I, WILLIAM ROBERTS, of Farnham, in the county of Erie, and State of NewYork, (assignor to myself, Austin Roberts, and Welcome'Spx-ague, of the, same place,) have invented a certain new andimproved Corn-Sheller; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in wliic Figure I is a vertical section, and.

Figure II is. a top plan view. I

The nature of thisinvention consists in supporting the journals of the roller or toothed drum within oval slots or recesses formed in the sides of the main frame, in combination with springs and blocks, the bottom of the recesse'sor slots, and the under side of the, blocks, being of such shape and construction as to permit the roller or drum to yield not only upwardly, but also horizontally, acco'mmodatingitself to the varying thickness'of the cobs to be shelled. I

. Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of the figures.

A represents the toothed roller or drum, which may consisteither of a. metallic hollow cylinder, having the teeth cast on toits outer surface, or of a wooden solid cylinder, having the teeth driven into it like nails.

The teeth are arranged in rows, parallel with the axis of the roller, and placed about half an inch apart.

The journal's of the roller are shown at a. They rest in slots or recesses Z1, cut in the side frames B of the machine, which slots are wider than the diameter of thejournals, so as to allow the latter ,to move'horizontally therein. V

Blocks 0 slide vertically-within'the slots, rest upon the journals, and are retained in their lowest positionzby means of "the fiat springs C,'upon the top of the frames B, or by anyothe'r equivalent means.

The under side of these blocks 0 is of a concave shape, corresponding to the semi-oval shape of the bottom of the recesses or slots 6. The object of this peculiar construction is to allow the roller a short horizontal movement backward or forward, in addition to the vertical movement regulated by the springs c.

' 1) represents a grate, composed of a number of bars, placecl parallel with the axis of the roller, between the two frames, and arranged semicircularly below the said roller, and in close proximity thereto.

111 represents a plate extending between the frames, and from one end of thesemicircular-grate upwardly:

This serves the purpose of a feeding-hopper.

-F is a plate extending from the other end of the grate downwardly,.and this is for carrying oil the cobs after the corn ha s'been shelled by the action oi the toothed roller and the grate.

This improved corn-sheller is simplein its construction and operation, and may be set in motion by hand, dog, horse, or steam-power, as may bedesircd. i

The corn is fed to the machine by placing it between the hopper-plate E and roller A. The teeth of the latter, while revolving the'cob, and drawing it on to the grate D, enter between the kernels and pry themapart, loosening all the surrounding kernels-attire same time. Hence, when the cob is passing over the sharp edges of the grate-bars, the kernels so loosened are scraped off, and fall between the grate-bars into a recap tacle below.

The corbs, as they are forced around the drum and over the grate-bars, will not be broken, on account of the yielding movement of the drum, giving way to a cob of large dimensions, and returning to take hold of a small one.

The empty cobs are discharged over the hopper F.

This is oneof the cheapest corn-shellers, as, besides doing its work correctly, its separates the corn from the cobsa degree of perfection not heretofore attainethexcept incorn-shellers of more complicated construction.

, I am well aware that corn-shellers have heretofore been invented and patented, comprising in their construetion a roller or toothed drum, and a circular grate-bar, and I do not therefore claim such construction and combination as new but What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,\is Supporting the journals a of the toothed roller A within the slots or recesses b, in combination with the blocks 0 and springs O, or their equivalents, when these parts 'are constructed and operating in the manner substantially as herein described.

. WILLIAM ROBERTS.

Witnesses:

ROBERT Bunnerm, B. H. MUEHLE. 

